Benjamin Nygren has made a strong impression in his first season at Celtic, and former Arsenal winger Anders Limpar believes the Swedish attacker has the ability to reach the highest level.
When Nygren arrived in Glasgow he was mainly seen as a creative attacking midfielder. Over the course of the season, though, another part of his game has stood out. The 24-year-old has become a reliable source of goals, regularly popping up in the box at the right moment to finish moves.
That sharp movement inside the area has been the clearest strength in his game. Nygren reads the situation well and slips away from defenders who lose sight of him. A lot of his goals follow that pattern. He drifts into space, meets the ball early, and finishes before the defence can react.
There is still plenty of room for him to grow. His link-up play can become sharper and there are games where he is quiet for long spells before suddenly producing the decisive goal. That is part of the process for a player at his age. Celtic currently have someone who already brings goals while still having time to develop the rest of his game.
Limpar believes Nygren has the level to reach one of Europe’s biggest leagues in the future. The former Sweden international also pointed out that the Celtic midfielder is beginning to play a bigger role with the national team.
He said: (RecordSport), “Henrik Larsson was an idol when he played for Celtic and he played for Barcelona too and Benjamin Nygren isn’t playing for Sweden when Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres are fit but now that Isak can’t he is definitely going to start upfront against Ukraine. He’s knocked in 20 odd goals in Scotland.
“He is a prospect and he’s going to get better. Imagine him playing for a top Premier League side. I’m not saying that Celtic are not top side but they are in Scotland. Nygren could play for Manchester United and he’d probably score 20 goals a season in the Premier League.
“He’s that good. I just wish him all the best but he is another player I wish to see stay a couple of seasons at Celtic, to settle in and then go. But he will definitely play a big role for Sweden with Viktor upfront.”
Another couple of seasons would allow him to improve the rest of his game. More minutes, more big games, and more chances to build consistency.
If that happens, Celtic benefit first. Nygren then moves forward as a more complete player.
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